


The Water that He Understands

by isuilde



Series: Respite Verse [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Major Character Injury, Mentions of PTSD, everyone loves makoto, hurt!Makoto, implied NagiRei, slight description abobut drowning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-24
Updated: 2013-10-24
Packaged: 2017-12-30 08:39:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1016483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isuilde/pseuds/isuilde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having Makoto and ocean in the same sentence still makes most of them worry.</p>
<p>(in which Makoto's injured, while Rin's off to South Korea for the Asian Swimming Championships 2020.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Water that He Understands

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea how this explodes into 4000++ words. It doesn’t even have a specific plot, idk. Have some hurt!Makoto and our boys standing by his side to comfort him, plus some MakoRin because hell yes. I just wish I could’ve put Gou and Mikobashi somewhere in this. 
> 
> Oh, and also, Wikipedia has been my best friend in describing marine biology and diving stuff, so if you noticed anything gravely wrong about it, do point it out! :D

Makoto is mostly fine with the ocean. 

He’s not pretending to be okay with it, nor is he telling himself to be strong and get over his trauma—he really is fine with it. Mostly. He treats the ocean the way a researcher would, now—with both passion and caution, because the ocean is  _fascinating_. Water, the lives it holds, the complexity of its ecosystem, the way it could be both beautiful and deadly at the same time. 

When he took up Marine Biology, Haruka said that Makoto’s life doesn’t seem to veer very far from the water. Nagisa said it suits him because Makoto’s so good at taking care of fellow living beings. Rei told him that the work it involves doesn’t look too beautiful, but he’s learned that there’s a beauty in everything, and Makoto should show it to him, too.

Rin gave him a look of surprise, and then said, “How are you so fucking brave, Makoto?”

Makoto isn’t sure why he’s remembering all of that while watching the gentle waves lap at the swimfins on his feet now, dangling from the boat he’s on. The ocean is a perfect color of blue blending with green, the sky is absolutely blue and gorgeous, and all around, other students’ voices float up to him, pointing out details to add into their observation report and reminding each other about the safety rules.

Today is their third diving since the Oceanographic Observation Class started. It’s scheduled to last for half an hour—out here in the middle of the sea, the weather can change quite drastically, and Makoto knows that better than most of his classmates. 

“Tachibana-kun, is everything ready?” Hagiwara wanders by, giving him a critical once-over before nodding to herself. “Alright, the team’s ready; it’s gonna be just you and me down there, let’s do our best.” 

Makoto gives her a smile. “Yeah, let’s do our best.” 

Making sure the camera on his shoulder is on, Makoto pulls down his full face mask, testing it by taking a deep breath, and drops himself down into the water. The coral reefs they’re trying to map out today isn’t far under. He catches Hagiwara slowly moves past, signaling for him to follow her, and he obeys. Diving is different from swimming; it doesn’t allow as much flexibility as swimming does, but the water is just as familiar, comfortable and terrifying at the same time. 

The coral reefs were another whole different story. 

It never ceases to amaze Makoto, how these structures made from calcium carbonates have become a home for 25% of the marine species. The little fleeting fish, the hiding mollusks, the colorful cnidarians. How blue and white and green and red blends so perfectly in the embrace of water, but at the same time stands out starkly against one another. How fragile it is under his gloved fingertips, how a slight pressure might make it crumble. And how lively his surroundings is, living beings that slips under his arm, his feet, his belly—things that are alive, just like his goldfish, and his siblings, and Haruka, and Rin— 

Fifteen minutes under, and Hagiwara gives him a panicked emergency signal. 

And that’s when everything goes downhill. 

**——-o0o——-**  

His departure to South Korea, more or less, goes like this: he lets Makoto drive him up to the airport, manages to distract him twice on the way with small kisses on his hand (and eventually mouth, but he only does it when the traffic light goes red, so it’s completely safe, mind you), and has his manager screaming at him because he’s nearly late for his flight. 

Which is why he only gets to say a rushed goodbye to Makoto, fuck destiny. 

“I’ll bring back some gold,” he breathes against Makoto’s lips, feels Makoto’s chuckle upon his nose, and gives him a confident grin. 

“I’ll bring back some souvenirs for you, then,” Makoto promises, because the next day he’s got to go to Okinawa for his oceanographic observation class or whatever, and Rin is still worried about him and the ocean a lot. So he bumps their foreheads together gently, and says, “If anything happens—“ 

“If anything happens,” Makoto repeats. “You call me.” 

“You call me.” Rin agrees, glad that this is how they decide to keep their relationship better than most of their friends’. Most of the time it’s nice—Makoto teaches him how to take a rest and he teaches Makoto how to be selfish from time to time, and nowadays it is their mutual respect and trust that Rin depends on more than anything. He drops one last kiss on Makoto’s mouth, short but hard, and Makoto makes this noise at the back of his throat that makes Rin shiver. 

“Go,” Makoto laughs, and Rin is off to South Korea for the Asian Swimming Championships 2020. 

**——-o0o——-**  

“Don’t tell Rin,” is the first thing Makoto says when Haruka arrives in the hospital. 

The dark-haired man eyes Makoto’s slung arm and the taped wrists. Those are bad, but Haruka decides he dislikes the dark circles under Makoto’s eyes the most. 

“Have you been sleeping?” he asks instead, and Makoto gives him a strained smile. Ha, figures. 

“I sleep enough,” Makoto averts his eyes as Haruka takes a seat beside his bed. “Are Nagisa and Rei here, too?” 

“They’re coming over tomorrow.”  _Because everyone gets worried when it comes to you and the ocean_ , Haruka thinks, but lets it slide unsaid. “Gou will be here in the evening. She managed to convince your siblings not to fly straight here, but they’re going to be livid at you.” 

Makoto smiles. “I’m sorry.” 

Haruka shrugs, pulling out their favorite popsicles out of the plastic bag on his feet, breaks them into two and offers one side to Makoto. It’s still summer, and Okinawa is hot, and Makoto’s injuries are all physical, so a popsicle or two wouldn’t hurt. 

“What happened?” he asks, after the room has lapsed into silence long anough. Makoto stiffens, and Haruka has to resolutely kept his gaze away from his friend’s, lest there wouldn’t be any talking done. It feels like a long time before Makoto releases his breath slowly, and longer still before he finds his voice. 

Haruka bites off the top of his popsicle. 

“Hagiwara-san got stuck,” Makoto begins. “We didn’t know there was a small fissure in the midst of the coral reefs, and she got stuck. I was trying to help her without causing any damage to the reefs. But the current got a bit strong, and I accidentally stepped on a fragile reef. Went down under about five or six meters, got buried—“ his breath catches, and Haruka bumps their palms together. He sees Makoto swallow, hard. 

“Okay,” Haruka tells him. “You don’t have to talk about it.” 

“It was careless of me,” Makoto admits, laughing shakily. “Shouldn’t have panicked when Hagiwara-san called me over to help—but I can’t help it. Sometimes—“ he swallows again, closing his eyes. “Sometimes the water feels like it’s pressuring me from all sides. Like it’s trying to pull me under, no matter how much or how fast I swim up.” 

“Don’t think about it,” Haruka says, but he knows Makoto is going to think about it—he’s going to be always thinking about it, like he’s always done since he was little. The exhausted look on Makoto’s face, the dark circles under his eyes—Makoto hasn’t been sleeping well. 

If Rin were here, Haruka muses, what would he do? 

Speaking about Rin— 

“He took the gold.” 

Makoto blinks. “Huh?” 

“Rin. He took the gold on  the 50 meters freestyle and breaststroke, today. Nagisa emailed me.” Haruka gestures to the TV across the room. “Did you watch?” 

Makoto’s lips twitch up in a small smile. “Yeah, I did. I emailed him just before you came.” There was fondness and admiration clear in Makoto’s voice now. “I wonder what kind of sight he’s seen when he swims today.” 

Haruka nods. “Probably his Dad again.” 

“He’s seen way much more, Haru,” Makoto chides, but he’s chuckling now and that’s what matters. Haruka shrugs, finishing his popsicle and snatches away the one in Makoto’s grip. He sticks it inside his mouth; one hand groping the bedside table for tissues, and another reaching for the TV remote control. “So you emailed him and congratulated him already.” 

“I did,” Makoto nods. 

“And you didn’t tell him?” 

The silence that falls down on them is broken when Haru turns the TV on—the sports channel is still broadcasting the Asian Swimming Championships 2020, this time covering the female 100 meters breaststroke. Makoto doesn’t so much as move, but Haruka knows he still keeps his smile on. 

“Rin’s still got the 200 meters individual medley left in two days.” 

“So?” 

“I don’t want him to worry.” Makoto lets out a heavy sigh, and Haruka turns to him in time to see the massive bulk of his best friend leans down. He looks exhausted, Haruka notes. The way Makoto’s muscles relax, one by one, even as he closes his eyes and breathes evenly; Haruka thinks it must have been hard for him to sleep soundly after the incident. He wonders why this kind of things always happens to Makoto every time the other man seems to have dealt with his past trauma of the ocean. 

Not for the first time in his life, Haruka wonders why Makoto chooses to pursue marine biology. 

“Haru,” Makoto says, the syllables slurring into one another as he rapidly slips into sleep. “You’ll stay?” 

Haruka stares, puts a hand on top of his friend’s , and squeezes it once. 

“Yeah,” he answers quietly. “I’m staying.” 

When half an hour later Makoto wakes up with a scream dying in his throat, drenched in cold sweat, and a frightened look in his eyes, Haruka offers him a drink and keeps his hold on Makoto’s hand. 

**——-o0o——-**  

He’s secured two golds. His coach is up on the clouds. His manager is busy fielding phone calls and interviews. All Rin’s got left to work for is the individual medley—one that he’s been looking forward the most, one that he intends to do his best on. 

He’ll be facing Sousuke in the individual medley, too. 

“Looking good, Rin!” Sousuke jostles up next to him as he heads to the shower. His old friend had just won the silver for 100 meters backstroke. “Keep it up, and you might just win against me in the individual medley.” 

“Says the one who only gets to keep silver,” Rin snorts, and Sousuke punches his arm with a loud laugh. 

“Confident as ever, aren’t you? Good, then I should be able to knock you off a peg,” with a challenging smile, Sousuke disappears into the shower first. Rin shakes his head, the remnants of smile tugging on his lips as he strides towards his belongings. His cell blinks a few missed calls and messages—mostly from the people closest to him, no doubt trying to congratulate him on his victory. 

There are two missed calls from Gou, one from his sponsor, one from Nagisa—and also an email congratulating him from both Nagisa and Rei—, one from his mother, and the last email is from Makoto. His smile widens, the now familiar giddy sensation bubbling up his chest, and Rin opens the email. There’s a cute sticker at the beginning of the message, one Rin recognizes as one of Ran’s favorite ones that she forced Makoto to install. 

_Rin, I watched the race until the end. Congratulations on winning the gold medals. Your last meter of the breaststroke race was breathtaking. Keep it up for the last individual medley, but don’t force yourself, okay? I heard some of the athletes are down with the cold, so be careful and don’t miss a meal even if it’s for training. I’m looking forward to you coming home. –Makoto-_  

It’s short—Makoto hasn’t ever been much of a message person, but Rin’s glad to get it nonetheless. Considering Makoto’s schedule as a researcher, he’s probably very busy right now, and Rin knows what it feels to be chasing something you’re passionate about, so he doesn’t mind much. 

Still, though, Makoto’s out researching in the ocean. Which means it involves diving. And Rin, sometimes, can be a real worrywart. 

_Thanks. I’m in tiptop shape here, Coach has been a demon, so don’t worry. Everything okay on your side? –Rin-_  

_Everything’s been pretty smooth—we’re half-finished with the observation. I’ll be back in two weeks, so you’d probably come home first. I guess I’ll see you then. –Makoto-_  

Rin frowns—that’s one and a half weeks longer than the research schedule should’ve been. But it wouldn’t be the first time Makoto has to extend his stay because there’s insufficient data, so there’s no need for him to worry, right? 

“Rin, if you don’t hurry up the Chinese guys are going to monopolize the shower in a second!” 

“Coming,” Rin calls back half-heartedly, putting back his phone and strides over to the shower. He can’t afford to lose his focus now, not when his most important race is coming up in two days, not when he promises both Makoto and himself (and Haruka, and Nagisa, and Gou and even Rei) to bring back gold medals for every race he throws himself in. 

Makoto will be fine. He’s been fine with the ocean for a long time, now. 

**———o0o——-**  

Makoto wakes up in the darkness, breath catching in his throat, heart pounding. 

“Mako-chan.” 

He opens his mouth, but it feels like he’s still in the water, weighed down by the immense pressure, pulled down by something in the water, down-down-down and he can’t breathe— 

“Mako-chan, wake up.” 

The water is alive. It brings him down. It takes him into its embrace, too tight and overwhelming, and Makoto is terrified. This isn’t the water that he loves. This is the water that he fears—the sea, the ocean, and it was only three kilometers off the shore, and they were fishermen, and they couldn’t swim back to the shore, they drowned instead, they died, and it was only three kilometers— 

“Makoto? Wake up.” 

“Mako-chan!” 

Something grips his shoulder hard, and he jerks violently, sucking air into his lungs in huge gasps. His vision clears up, his brain recognizing the tuft of bright blond hair and liquid eyes. “Na—gisa..?” he lets out a cough, lifting his left hand to scrub his eyes before the pain in his arm explodes, reminding him of his injuries. He swears under his breath and struggles to sit up. 

“Are you okay, Senpai?” Rei’s voice drifts into his ear, and Makoto notices his hands helping him up, supporting his back, while Nagisa hovers by his side anxiously with a glass of water. He forces a smile, thanking Nagisa as he takes the glass of water and downs it in big gulps. 

“Sorry,” he says, pasting a smile on, but his voice isn’t steady. “I—damn, that’s what, the third time tonight I woke you guys up?” 

“Fifth,” Rei corrects gently, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Don’t the doctors give you any medication for this, Makoto-senpai?” 

“And we weren’t really asleep,” Nagisa chimes up, “so don’t feel bad about it, Mako-chan.” 

His smile is slipping, but exhaustion and fear are both clogging up his throat, he can’t quite care about putting up a fine appearance for his friends. “I’m—I have an appointment with a psych, pretty soon. So far, they’re only giving me sleep medication, so I can sleep better—“ he chuckles dryly. “I hate them. It’s hard to wake up when I take one, kind of makes me feel worse afterwards.” 

Nagisa is looking at him with wide eyes—sometimes Makoto forgets that Nagisa’s only one year younger than him. “What can we do to make you comfortable, Mako-chan?” 

On his side, Rei shifts and adds. “If you want us to leave, that’s okay, too.” 

“No,” Makoto blurts out, because that’s the last thing he wants: to be alone. He needs someone with him here; the day after the incident, before Haruka and the others come over from Tokyo, had been the worst. “No, I just. I don’t know. But—if it’s not too much trouble for you both, I’d. I’d like you both to stay.” 

“Of course it’s no trouble, Mako-chan,” Nagisa flops next to him, shoulders pressing up, and it’s such a comfort that Makoto thinks he’s about to collapse from the relief spreading in his chest. “We’ve come all the way to Okinawa for you, haven’t we? Even Rei-chan left the museum exhibitions to his junior.” 

“There are more important things,” Rei says, and he’s sitting on Makoto’s other side, flanking Makoto as if he and Nagisa are forming a shield that would stave off the nightmare. “You should get some more rest, Senpai. We’ll be here when you wake up.” 

“Thank you,” Makoto whispers, buries his face in his hands because he doesn’t know what he did to deserve this, but ultimately relieved that he doesn’t have to spend the night alone. “Thank you.” 

He thinks about Rin, about the gold medals Rin is bringing home, and swallows back the urge to call. 

**——-o0o——-**  

When Rin picks up, Haruka says, “Makoto is going to be mad at me.” 

Rin snorts. “He doesn’t ever get mad at you. Be real, Haru.” 

“I’m serious.” And that tone in Haruka’s voice makes Rin sober up. He sits up—training was exhausting today, and he feels like he can fall asleep standing, much less when he’s already sprawled out on his bed and about to sleep. But Haruka sounds like whatever he’s going to tell Rin about is important, and it involves Makoto, so sleep can wait. 

“What is it?” 

“We’re not supposed to tell you,” and by  _we_ , it’s the whole group: Haruka, Makoto, Rin, Nagisa, Rei, Gou, Mikoshiba, and even Coach Sasabe sometimes. Rin wonders who else other than him is excluded from the  _we_ this time. “But Makoto is being an idiot, so I’m telling you anyway.” 

Rin frowns, shoulders stiffening because Makoto’s supposed to be out in the ocean, and having Makoto and ocean in the same sentence still makes most of them worry. Him included. “Did something happen?” 

“There was an accident. He got hurt.” 

His heart skips a beat. 

“He’s fine, his life isn’t in danger. He just hasn’t been sleeping well.” 

Rin swears. “He didn’t tell me.” One hand comes up, pressing against his eyes, an attempt to stave off the incoming headache. He thinks of Makoto, of his smile, of the words they exchanged before he left:  _if anything happens, you call me_.“The fucker. He promised, too.” 

“He just doesn’t want you—“

“—to worry,” Rin cuts Haruka off, a brittle laugh at the end of his words. “He never changes. Fuck, I tried hard to make him stop doing this, I thought it’s been better, goddammit.” 

There’s silence for several heartbeats, and then Haruka lets out a heavy sigh. “You should focus on the race, Rin. That’s what Makoto wants. He’s okay, he’ll recover soon enough. Makoto’s a whale. He’s strong.” 

“I don’t need you to tell me that,” Rin grumbles, because that’s not the point. But Haruka’s right, too, and Rin also has a promise to see through. He’s got to concentrate on tomorrow’s race. “Haru? The accident—when was it? Was it in the ocean or—“ 

“Three days ago,” Haruka says. “He was diving.” 

He can’t call Makoto now, Rin tells himself. Makoto wouldn’t pick up—that’s why he only sent Rin an email after Rin’s victory—and if Makoto doesn’t pick up, Rin would only be hurt, which means he’ll concentrate less on the race because he’s thinking about stuff he makes up in his own damn mind. This would have to do. “He’s dealing with it?” 

“He is. Not well, but not bad either.” Haruka hesitates. “You should come straight to Okinawa once the tournament ends. I’ll email you the hospital address later.” 

“Yeah. Yeah—thanks, Haru.” 

“Just get your last gold, Rin.” 

Haruka hangs up. Rin spends two hours listening to Makoto’s messages that he never deleted until he falls asleep. 

When he wakes up, he doesn’t feel great, but that doesn’t really matter. He has a race to win. 

**——-o0o——-**  

Someone is talking. 

“…they asked us if we were free after that, and I got dragged into dinner. It’s like a goukon, I think, just a bit less rowdy because everyone was so fucking exhausted—“ 

It’s a familiar voice, one that eases the constant pressure of water on his chest, one that slowly pries away the pull of something that wants to take him under the water. 

“—I refused, of course, since I booked the first flight in the morning and I really want to get some goddamn sleep, and they got angry, can you believe it—“ 

It’s like a gentle wave—constant and even, lapping down at his feet and tickling, teasing laughter off his lips the way it always did when he was little and the fishermen were still alive. The water is embracing him now, rocking gently as it sends him off to the shore on his back, where everything is once again safe. 

“—Sousuke told me that I just had a stick up my ass; the nerve of him—“ 

It’s the familiar water he grows up with. It’s the fascinating water that swirls around him as he dives into the ocean, it’s colors stark bright and gleaming under his fingertips, it’s living beings in the water flitting over his gaze. It’s the water he understands. 

“—I mean, just because he got the gold doesn’t mean he can treat me like that; fuck him very much—“ 

“I object to that,” he murmurs, a smile tugging the corners of his lips as his eyes flutter open. He blinks, his gaze clearing amidst the sleepy haze, falling onto Rin’s figure on the edge of his bed. “Ohayou, Rin.” 

Rin smirks and leans down to steal a kiss; Makoto notices that he’s still wearing his travelling jacket, which means he’s probably just arrived. He hums sleepily as Rin’s fingers slip into his hair, threading through the knots of the strands. One glance to the window tells him that it’s still dark outside, and none of his other friends is there. 

“Ohayou,” Rin whispers, his breath a soft caress against Makoto’s cheek. “Sleep well?” 

Makoto gives a sleepy nod, breathes out something that sounds much like Rin’s name, and says, “Tell me about what you see in the water, Rin.” 

Rin doesn’t pause in the slightest. “I saw you,” he murmurs against Makoto’s left eye, reluctant to even let go for a second. “You were swimming with me, on the line next to me, flat on your back. Still massive and full of energy, like a whale.” Makoto chuckles at the old joke. “I saw the coral reefs, the ones in the pictures you often showed me at home. Gorgeous colors, like they’re real enough for me to touch. I saw Haru, hovering on the finish line, and Nagisa’s cheering. There were butterflies, lots of them. That’s what I saw when I won the two golds.” 

Makoto shifts. “For the 50 meters freestyle and breaststroke—?“ 

“Yeah. I couldn’t see anything in the individual medley, though.” Rin pauses, straightening up, and Makoto feels the tangible absence of his touch, even with him just an arm reach away. “Fuck you for not telling me anything, Makoto.” 

Makoto frowns, his brain isn’t completely online yet. “You didn’t—get the gold?” 

“Secured second place, so silver for me. Sousuke got the gold. Not even one second difference, I’ll get him back for that next time.” Rin shrugs his jacket off, and Makoto watches the leather slides off Rin’s arms and body. “Tried my best, but I didn’t sleep well after Haru told me what happened.” 

That wakes him up better than Rin’s kisses. “Haru—told you?” He scrambles to sit up, wincing when he jostled his broken arm. “Shit, I told him not to tell you since you still have that individual medley—“ 

Rin gives him a hard look, effectively silencing Makoto up. For a moment, they stare at each other, neither one is backing down, until finally Makoto sighs and tears his eyes away. 

“On the contrary, I might have been able to sleep better if you were the one telling me about it.” Rin says, a hard edge on every single word that comes off his mouth. “It’s more convincing to hear it directly from the person involved, you know. That you’re really okay. At least I don’t have to keep guessing and making stuff up in my head about whatever things could go wrong with you while I’m not here.” 

Makoto has the grace to look guilty. “I’m sorry.” 

“You promised, Makoto.” 

“I’m sorry. I just—if I’d called, I would have said silly things.” Makoto pauses, thinks about how badly he’s wanted Rin to be here these last few days. “I didn’t want to say anything that would make you worry, or—” 

“You didn’t trust that I’d win even if I worried?” the mattress dips under Rin’s weight, and Makoto closes his eyes when one hand cups his cheek. They’re threading dangerous water now; they always are, when it comes to this discussion. “Makoto. Look at me. Didn’t I tell you it’s fine to be selfish once in a while?” 

“Just as I told you it’s okay to stop running for a while,” Makoto murmurs. 

“And sometimes I still forget about that. Fair enough.” There’s a slight quirk on the corner of Rin’s smile. “But we promised.” 

“We promised,” Makoto acknowledges, taking a deep breath. “And I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t do that again,” Rin shuffles closer, anxiety bleeding from his shoulders, and Makoto just can’t help but pulls him closer. His chin rests on Makoto’s shoulder, his arm on Makoto’s slung one, touching gently. “Of course I’m going to worry, you shit. I’m your boyfriend. If I couldn’t get over it and win the race, that just means I’m not quite that professional yet. That just means I’ve got to be better.” 

Makoto chuckles. “You’ve been so much better, Rin. You can be so much better.” 

“I know.” Without even seeing it, Makoto knows Rin is rolling his eyes. “So you should fuss less about me, I can take care of myself.” 

“I know,” Makoto whispers, enjoys the warmth under his fingers, the warmth that envelopes him in Rin’s arms. “I’m sorry I lied.” 

Rin shrugs. “You tried.” He corrects half-heartedly. “You’re a shitty liar, Makoto, did anyone ever tell you that?” He nudges at Makoto’s chest, using his weight to push Makoto back onto bed and keeps his arms locked around him. Makoto looks at him in amusement. 

“Tired?” 

“Exhausted. God, shut the fuck up and let’s go to sleep.” 

And this is how his life is, Makoto thinks, even as Rin rearranges himself on top of Makoto so he wouldn’t make his injuries worse. “The nurse is going to freak if she saw us first thing in the morning.” 

“Clearly I have taught you nothing about being selfish.” 

Makoto laughs, relieved and free for the first time since the accident. He feels Rin’s arms tighten around him, feels the small tremor in Rin’s breath, and he calls out, “Rin?” 

“Yeah.” 

“I’ll be okay.” He buries his face on the red tuft that is Rin’s hair. “I won’t just go—not like your father did. I’ll always be a place for you to come home.” 

Rin shifts, peering up into Makoto’s eyes. There’s still sadness there, left behind from the accident that connects their paths. When he leans up for a kiss, Makoto meets him halfway, pressing their lips softly, stealing Rin’s breath and giving it back for what feels like forever. 

“When you’re healed up,” Rin breathes. “Let’s go swimming together. All of us.” 

Makoto smiles. “Sure.” 

“Now go to sleep, I’m seriously trashed here.” 

Makoto’s laughter is soft, disappearing into the scant air between the two of them, and the words  _thank you_  drifts up into nothingness, leaving warmth in its wake. 

**——-o0ofinitoo0o———**


End file.
